Continuous process and apparatus for making rayon



Dec. 4, 1934. w. H. FURNESS 1,983,221

CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING RAYON Filed Jan. 15, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet l INVENZ'OR v 1 W W-r Mn? ATTORMEYS Dec. 4, 1934. w. H.FURNESS CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING RAYON 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Jan.

INVENTOR m ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1934. w. H. FURNESS Fild Jan. 15, 1931INVENTOR 1% ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 4, .1934

CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING RAYON William H. Furness,National Park, N. J., assignor to Furness Corporation, Gloucester, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 15,

24 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of manufacturing rayon thread.Heretofore in this art it has been proposed to provide a continuousprocess -wherein the thread from the time of its precipitation goesthrough all of the remaining steps of the process without interruption,but insofar as I'am aware, none of these proposed continuous processeshave been practical or successful, and all rayon is, at this time,manufactured by non-continuous processes.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a continuous processwhich is practical.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide apractical continuous process which is simple and economical and by meansof which conditioned rayon maybe produced much more cheaply not onlywith respect to plant investment required, but also with respect topower and the amount of and class of labor needed.

It is the further object to provide a process of the character describedby means of which a superior quality of thread is ensured with nobreaks, with the exception of the infrequent ones due to accident.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for carrying outsaid process.

The invention will be better understood in connection with the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the preferred form of apparatus employed in carryingout the process when cupro-ammonium thread is to be made.

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and section through a pprtion ofapparatus employed in carrying out the process.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar side elevation, also in more or less diagrammaticform, illustrating a modification of the invention.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate certain details which may be employed.

The invention will be described in connection with the manufacture ofcupro-ammonium silk, and reference is first made to Fig. 1 which is thepreferred form of apparatus to be employed in making such silk. Thereference numeral '7 indicates the pipe line leading from a source ofsupply of copper ammonia cellulose solution (not shown), the referencenumeral 8 indicates the pump and the reference numeral 9 a suitable formof spinneret adapted to spin a multiplicity of filaments. Theprecipitating bath is indicated at 10, the spinneret 9 being adapted tobe im- 1931, Serial No. 508,840

mersed therein. In this case the bath 10 isa caustic soda bath. Thethread or bundle of filaments 11 passes over the guide 12 as it leavesthe bath and over other suitable guides 13 and 14 to what, for lack of abetter term, may be designated as a squirrel cage drum 15. This drum isadapted to be rotated by any suitable power means 16, and, as willhereinafter appear, when the thread is started thereon, it winds up and,as it winds, travels toward the upper end of the drum from which thethread is led over suitable guides 17, 18, to any suitable known type oftwister-mechanism 19 by means of which it is laid up upon a spool 20with twist.

The thread goes on to the drum in the form of a single layer, with thethread not contacting with itself at any point along the length of thedrum, so that the thread will be effectively exposed for the varioustreatments which it must undergo before being finally laid up upon thespool 20 in conditioned form. It will also be seen that the thread as itis drawn from the bath by the drum continuously moves up the drum and iscontinuously drawn off at the upper end thereof.

In the case of cupro-ammonium silk, acid is dropped on to the rotatingdrum and its layer of thread by means of a pipe 21, the feed beingcontrolled by a suitable valve 22. The point where the acid is droppedon to the thread depends upon the diameter of the drum which,-in turn,determines the length of thread on the drum from the point where thethread is first laid on the drum to the point where the acid is dropped.The acid should be dropped at a point sufficiently far removed froni theleading or lower end of the drum to secure the desired chemical changeswhich w further appear.

ill

Farther up along the drum water is similarly dropped upon the thread bya pipe 23 controlled by a valve 24.

Following the water pipe, the thread is dried as by means of a currentof mildly warm air delivered by the pipe 25 so as to discharge againstthe thread. The thread as it leaves the drum is completely conditioned.and, as before stated, is

laid up upon the spool 20 with twist.

the liquids.

ill

It will be seen, therefore, that there is a counter-flow orcounter-movement of the liquids in the thread, crosswise of the turns ofthe thread, this because the thread is being moved upwardly along thedrum as it rotates with the drum and the liquids are flowing down thedrum.

By reason of this counter-flow of the liquids with respect to the turnsof thread, the following phenomena occur, assuming that the device is inoperation. In the region of the acid drip the thread carries only copperhydroxide and this is acted upon by the acid to form copper sulphatesome of which may be carried by the thread a certain distance beyond apoint where the acid actually drips on to the thread. Because of thefact that the thread in the region of the acid drip carries only copperhydroxide substantially only the theoretical amount of acid is required.1

Hence, the water which is dripped farther along the drum merely washesfrom the thread the copper sulphate, together with excess acid, shouldthere be any. This mingles with the acid drip, forming a mixture whichprogressively becomes less and less acid as it moves down the drumuntil, finally, it is neutral. The mixture in which the copper sulphateis in solution meets caustic carried up by the oncoming thread and thecaustic soda precipitates copper hydroxide with sodium sulphate as aby-product. The copper hydrate precipitate, however, remains insuspension in the mixture of liquids flowing down, which mixture alsostill contains the other salts. The mixture in flowing farther downdilutes and removes a large portion of the caustic soda progressively sothat no caustic soda reaches the acid area which permits the use of theminimum amount of acid.

The mixture drops off the lower end of the drum and is collected in thepan 26 and carried by pipe 2'7 to a suitable tank for recovery. Theammonia which is carried up from the bath by the thread is held insolution by these liquids and does not go off, making it easy torecover.

There are, therefore, no fumes and it is unnecessary to provide any hoodand exhausting apparatus for the protection of the workmen.

From the standpoint of the recovery of the copper, it will be seen thatthe process is an automatic one.

As the thread moves up the cylinder and is acted upon by the acid andwater and the mixture thereof, it gradually becomes deflated through theremoval of caustic soda, water and copper hydroxide, the deflation beingabout complete at the point where the water is dropped upon the drum.Deflation of the thread results in some elongation thereof whichgradually and increasingly occurs as deflation proceeds to completion.This elongation of the thread would result in loosening of the threadupon the drum and the contacting of one portion of the thread with otherportions. I automatically compensate for the elongating of the threaddue to deflation by tapering the drum from its lower end to the pointwhere the water is dropped on, the taper being sufiicient to take up orcompensate for the elongation by gradual increase in diameter, and,therefore, circumference of the drum incident thereto. From the pointwhere the thread becomes deflated the drum is no longer tapered but madetruly cylindrical or straight.

Owing to the fact that only a single thread is acted upon, the amount ofwater required is very small. about one-tenth of the amount required inthe customary methods of manufacture now current. For similar reasonsonly a small amount of air of only mild warmth is required to dry thethread.

Obviously the time required for chemical treatment of the thread isexceedingly short as compared with present practices in which the threadis treated in cake or spool form, as, for example, in washing, where thewater must penetrate and pass over layer after layer of thread.Similarly the time required for drying is but a fraction of the timeordinarily consumed for this purpose.

I have found by actual experience when making cupro-ammonium thread Ican accomplish all of the foregoing operations on a drum about 6 inchesin diameter at one end and 7 at the other and about two and a half feetlong, the time required being about 1 /2 minutes from the liquidcellulose solution to the finished, conditioned yarn, twisted on thespool. I have produced in the neighborhood of 73 yards per minute withstandard twist on such a drum.

Once the apparatus is in operation it will run indefinitely, as long asthe spinnerets function properly, and these frequently do not needattention for three months at a time. When a spool is fllled the machineis not stopped, but the thread is merely broken off, the new spoolinserted, and the thread restarted on the new spool. I may, if desired,simultaneously slow down the speed of the drum and the pump when doffinga filled spool and inserting a new spool. This would not affect thethread, nor the conditioning operations.

It will be seen that all of the variables which, in ordinary processes,result in non-uniformity of denier are avoided, and that a thread ofuniform denier from one end to the other is automatically produced.Similarly thestrains and stresses to which the thread, while in the wetstate, is normally subjected in standard practice are entirely avoidedwhich, of course, also tends to produce a superior product. Again,uniform effects of chemical treatment are obtained because only a singlethread is being continuously treated by uniform application of liquidsas it continuously moves.

Also, the manipulations to which the thread is normally subjected inordinary intermittent practice are, here, entirely avoided, because thethread is touched only at an end when starting the thread on the drumand when starting the thread on the spool. Thus, breakage and injury tothe thread are avoided and an indefinite amount of thread can beproduced without a knot and without fuzziness, of which there is aconsiderable amount in ordinary practice, due to the breakage offilaments from the repeated handlings of the thread and the action ofvarious pieces of apparatus over which it must pass.

It will be understood that the speed of the pump and of the drum and theflyer or twister are correlated, but when once properly adjusted nofurther attention will be needed for long periods of time, as only wearof the pump can affect uniformity.

From the foregoing it will be seen that for a given production ,per daya very small plant, a very small amount of machinery and a very smallamount of power and labor will be required, as against the needs ofpresent practice.

The construction of the drum and the manner in which the thread iscaused to move therealong will now be described, reference being hadparticularly to Figs. 2 and 3.

The drum is composed of a plurality of longitudinally extending barswhich are made hollow for purposes of lightness and are composed ofMonel or other suitable resistant metal. Every alternatebar 28 iscarried at one end by a disk 30 and at the other end by a similar disk31 through the medium of pins 32 which are threaded into the disks andproject radially therefrom and enter into holes provided in the bars.The bars are secured to the ends of the pins as by a wire indicated at33, or other preferred means, providing universal motion.

The other bars 29 are carried at one end on a disk 34 and at the otherend on a similar disk 35, by means of pins 32, as before.

A drive shaft composed ofthree sections 36, 37 and 38 coupled withuniversals 39 is provided. Bearings 40 are provided for the two endsections,

these being so arranged that the sections 36 and 38 of the drive shaftincline from the horizontal, which cants the disks 30 and 31 whichrotate therewith, from the vertical as will be clearly seen oninspection of Fig. 2.

The disks 34 and 35 are mounted on ball bearings 41' eccentric andinclined to the shaft sections 36 and 38 and are oppositely canted inlike amount.

When the shaft is rotated it rotates the disks 30 and 31 which carry thebars 28. These bars are adapted during rotation to abut against the bars29 at the bottom because of the different centers of rotation of thedisks 34 and 35 and 30 and 31, respectively,so that the bars 29 anddisks 34 and 35 are caused to rotate, which makes the structure, as awhole, rotate in the direction of rotation of the shaft.

Since the disks 34 and 35 rotate about the center 42, eccentric to theaxis of rotation of the shaft sections 36 and 38, and since the axis ofrotation 42 is to the left, but in substantially the same horizontalplane as the axis of rotation of the sections 36 and 38, the bars 28 and29, when they come to the top and the bottom, extend in substantiallythe same plane. However, as ro tation continues, the bars 29progressively recede toward the center, being at their lowest point (i.e., nearest the axis of rotation of the shaft sections 36 and 38) at thehorizontal plane of said axis, as shown in Fig. 3 at the right. Onfurther movement the bars 29 gradually move outwardly until, at the top,they are in substantially .the same plane as the bars 28. From thispoint on, as. rotation continues, the bars 29 advance beyond the planeof the bars 28, as shown at the left of Fig. 3, and then gradually comeback to the plane of the bars 28, and so on.

' It will beseen, therefore, that as the bars 29 recede they move away.and become disengaged J from the thread and that as they advance beyondthe plane of the bars 28, they engage the thread, whereas the bars 28then do not engage the thread. Atthe same time, however, the singlelayer of thread, considered as a whole, is substantially cylindrical.

Now, referring tothe bars 28, it will be seen that because of thecanting of the disks 30 and 31 these bars have imparted to them areciprocating movement longitudinally of the drum. Taking the top bar28, for example, of Fig. 3, Just to the left of the vertical axis of thedrum, it will be seen that as rotation takes place this bar moveslongitudinally, i. e., toward the right in Fig. 2, until it arrives atthe bottom of the drum when, as rotation continues, it will movelongitudinally in the reverse direction, i. e., to the left in Fig. 2,and so on with every one of the bars 28.

However, on inspection of the figures it will be seen that while thebars 28 are moving to the right they are out of engagement with and donot carry the thread and the thread is carried by the bars 29, whereas,when they are moving to the left, they are in engagement with and carrythe thread to the left in Fig. 2.

Owing to' the fact that while the bars 28 are moved to the left, thethread is not in engage ment with the bars 29, it is advanced along thedrum to the extent of the canting of the disks 30 and 31.

At this point the thread is picked up by the bars 29, and because thedisks 34 and 35 are canted in the opposite direction, the bars 29 moveto the left and thread continues to advance toaccentuated in order tomore clearly bring out.

the operation. This also makes the space between turns of thread muchgreater than is needed in practice. More bars than shown may also beemployed. v

In brief, therefore, it will be seen that while the bars are inengagement with the thread, they are moving to the left, and when theyare out of engagement with the thread they are moving to the right, andthus when a thread is started on the drum it will be caused to movealong the drum.

The starting of the thread can be accomplished very readily. Forexample, one way is to pass the thread around the drum and turn underthe end thereof so that the run of the thread on the drum will hold theend while the drum is running.

Another way is to loosely loop the end of the thread around one of thebars, which causes the following thread in the next succeeding turn tooverlap and the ring of thread thus formed moves up the drum.

Insofar as laying up the thread in the form of a continuous anduninterrupted helix on the drum is concerned, it will be seen that theproces of winding it in this form is such that the thread does not haveto move over the surfaces, the helix being obtained by engagement of thethread by surfaces moving longitudinally and in the direction of the runof the helix. On the reverse movement of these surfaces, they are out ofcontact with the thread. Hence, there'is neither rubbing on the threadnor any movement of the thread on the surfaces.

The arrangement of Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that of Fig. 1and may be employed where it is desirable to separately collect fluidsemployed in chemical treatment. To this end the trough 26a has aplurality of compartments, each having a discharge pipe 27a. Suitablemeans is provided for securing the dropping off of respective fluidsinto the respective collecting compartments. One such means may be theprovision of ribs 43 on the outer face of the bars.

The fluid running down the drum, on meeting the In some cases stretchingmay be found desirable and the tapered drum will stretch the thread.

By way of illustration of the saving effected in water over standardpractice, I have found that only fifteen gallons of water are requiredper pound of thread. Since it is usually necessary to chemically purifythe water, it will be seen that a very small purification plant will berequired as compared to the usual practice. The fact that the water actsonly on one thread and that for only a short time, avoids theaccumulative effect of impurities, and hence less pure water may beemployed. As giving some idea of the general saving effected by myprocess, I am enabled to make rayon more cheaply than ordinary cottonthread can be made.

It will be noted that the thread has no twist until that which isimparted by the fiyer 19. However, no difficulty is encountered inconnection with spreading of the filaments for the reason that thethread on the drum carries liquids and is only contacted at spacedpoints. The surface tension of the liquid intermediate the points ofcontact serves to hold the filaments together.

The effectiveness of both the chemical treatment and the washing isgreatly increased because of the alternate advancement and recession ofthe bars, against and away from the thread. In this connection it willbe seen that all of the thread is thus exposed to uniform action, and,in addition, the liquid on the bars is forced into the thread at everycontact.

While the liquid is flowing counter-current under the influence ofgravity, it is also carried along with the thread in the direction ofthe movement of the thread circumferentially, therefore, subjecting thethread to very mild current action.

The blower pipe 25, for convenience of illustration, is shown at the topof Fig. 1. It is preferable to locate it at the side and to have itsdischarge orifice in the form of a slot extending longitudinally of thedrum. When thus located some of the drying air enters into the interiorof the drum and some of the air plays upon wet portions of the threadand other portions upon relatively drier parts of the thread, with theresult that the air to which the thread is subjected never becomescompletely dry, the drier portions being leavened by the portions whichhave picked up some humidity from the wet thread. The air within thecylinder, because of the inclination, flows toward the upper end thereofand thus complete drying of the air and of the thread is avoided, whicheliminates the presence of static.

I claim:-

1. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a, rotating drumset at an angle with respect to the horizontal and adapted to receivethe thread at a point toward its lower end, means for advancing thethread along the drum in a helical path toward the upper end of thedrum, and means adapted to deliver a treating liquid to the thread onthe drum at a point above the point first mentioned.

2. Apparatus for manufacturing thread including a drum structure ofgenerally cylindrical form including two sets of interleaving barsextending lengthwise of the structure to define said generallycylindrical form, and mounting means for the sets of bars providing forrotation of the bars of one set in a substantially circular path aboutthe drum and for rotation of the bars of the other set in a similar buteccentrically disposed path, the mounting means further providingrelatively angled axes of rotation for the tw sets of bars.

3. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a drum structureof generally cylindrical form including two sets of interleaving.

bars extending lengthwise of the structure to define said generallycylindrical form, and mounting means for the sets of bars providing forrotation of the bars of one set in a substantially circular path aboutthe drum and for rotation of the bars of the other set ina similar buteccentrically disposed path, the mounting means for the bars of at leastone set further being arranged to provide for longitudinal reciprocatingmovement thereof during rotation of wise of the structure andalternately disposed.

around the drum to define said generally cylindrical form, and mountingmeans for the sets of bars providing for rotation of the bars of one setin a substantially circular path about the drum and for rotation of thebars of the other set in a similar but eccentrically disposed path, themounting means further providing relatively angled axes of rotation forthe two sets of bars.

5. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a drum ofgenerally cylindrical form composed of a plurality of bars disposedaround the circumference of the drum and extended lengthwise thereof,the bars being arranged in a plurality of sets the bars of whichinterleave with each other, mounting means for the bars of one setproviding for movement thereof in a rotary path, and mounting means forthe bars of another set providing for movement thereof in a rotary pathwhich is eccentric with respect to the path first mentioned and the axisof which is angled with respect to that of the path first mentioned.

6. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a drum ofgenerally cylindrical form composed of a plurality of bars disposedaround the circumference of the drum and extended lengthwise thereof,the bars being arranged in a plurality of sets the bars of whichinterleave with each other, mounting means for the bars of'one setproviding for movement thereof in a rotary path the axis of whichextends at an angle to the general axis of the drum, and mounting meansfor the bars of another set providing for movement thereof in a rotarypath the axis of which extends at an anglepto the general axis of saiddrum different from the angle first mentioned. I v

'7. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a drum ofgenerally cylindrical form composed of a plurality of bars disposedaround the circumference of the drum and extended lengthwise thereof,the bars being arranged in a plurality of sets the bars of whichinterleave with each other, mounting means for the bars of one setproviding for movement thereof in a rotary path the axis of whichextends at an angle to the general axis of the drum, and mounting meansfor the bars of another set providing for movement thereof in a rotarypath the axis of which also extends at an angle'to the 'gen er al axisof said drum, the several mounting means further being arranged so thatsaid axes are angled in generally opposite directions with respect tosaid general drum axis.

8. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a drum ofgenerally cylindrical form composed of a plurality of bars disposedaround the circumference of the drum and extended lengthwise thereof,the bars being arranged in ing'mea'ns for the bars of another setproviding for movement thereof in a rotary path the axis of which alsoextends at an angle to the general axis of said drum but at an angledifferent from that of the axis first mentioned.

9. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including in combinationwith a, drive shaft, a pair of spaced hub members mounted on said shaftfor rotation in planes which are angled with respect to planesperpendicular to the axis of the shaft, 9'. second and similarlyarranged pair of hub members, a set of elements extended axially of saidshaft mounted to rotate with the first pair of hub members, and anadditional and similar set of elements mounted to rotate with the secondpair of hub members, the elements of said two sets being in interleavingrelation and cooperating to define a generally drum-like structuresurrounding said shaft, at least one set of hub members further beingeccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of said shaft and beingmounted to rotate in planes at an angle with respect to the planes ofthe other set of hub members.

10. Apparatus for use in manufacturing, thread including in combinationwith a drive shaft, 9. pair of spaced hub members mounted on said shaftfor rotation in planes which are angled with respect to planesperpendicular to the axis of the shaft, a second and similarly arrangedpair of hub members the angularity of which is different from that ofthe first pair, a set of elements extended axially of said shaft mountedto rotate with the first pair of hub members, and an additional andsimilar set of elements mounted to rotate with the second pair of hubmembers, the elements of said two sets being in interleaving relationand cooperating to define a generally drum-like structure surroundingsaid shaft, at least one set of hub members further being eccentricallymounted with respect to the axis of said shaft.

11. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including incombination-with a drive shaft, a pair of spaced hub members mounted onsaid shaft for rotation in planes which are angled with respect toplanes perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, a second and similarlyarranged pair of hub members mounted to rotate in planes at an anglewith respect to the planes of the other set of hub members, a set ofelements extended axially of said shaft mounted to rotate with the firstpair of hub members, and an additional and similar set of elementsmounted to rotate with the second pair of hub members, the elements ofsaid two sets being in interleaving relation and cooperating to define agenerally drum-like structure surrounding said shaft, the pairs of hubmembers being eccentrically mounted in opposite directions with respectto the axis of said shaft.

12. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including at least twosets of elongated bars or the like arranged in interleaving relation todefine a drum or cage of generally cylindrical form,

and mechanism for mounting the sets of bars providing for rotationthereof about the general axis of the drum, said mechanism furtherincluding means providing for axial reciprocatory movement of the barsof each set and for. radially inward and outward movement of the bars ofeach set, and means'coordinating the rotational, reciprocatory andradial movements of the bars in such manner that each bar of each setcompletes a cycle .of its reciprocatory and also of its radial movementduring each revolution thereof, and the coordinating means further beingarranged to provide for reciprocatory and radial movements of the barsof one set in directions opposite to the corresponding movements of thebars in the other set at a predetermined point in the path of rotationalmovement of the 1 bars about the general axis of the drum.

13. A method for manufacturing thread which includes feeding the threadthrough a helical path having a multiplicity of turns the axis of whichis at an angle to the horizontal and in which the thread moves fromthelower end of the helix to the upper end, and applying a treatingliquid to the thread in an upper portion of its helical path of travelto fiow downwardly across the turns toward the lower end of the helix.

,14. A method for manufacturing thread which includes feeding the threadthrough a helical path having a multiplicity of turns the axis ofwhichis at an angle to the horizontal and in which the thread moves fromthe lower end-of the helix to the upper end, applying a treating liquidto the thread in. an upper portion of its helical path of travel to fiowdownwardly across the turns toward the lower end of the helix, anddrying the thread during its helical path of movement at a point beyondthe application of the treatment liquid.

15. A method for manufacturing thread which includes spinning acop'per-ammonia-cellulose solution into a multiplicity of filaments toform a thread, feeding the thread through a helical path having aplurality of turns the axis of which is at an angle to the horizontaland in which the thread moves from the lower end of the helix to theupper end, and applying an acid treatment liquid to the thread at apoint above the lower end of the helix to flow downwardly in a directionacross the turns.

16. A-method for manufacturing thread which includes spinning acopper-ammonia-cellulose solution into a multiplicity of filaments toform a thread, feeding the thread through a helical path having aplurality of turns the axis of which is at an angle to the horizontaland in which the thread moves from the lower end of the helix to theupper end, applying an acid treatment liquid to the thread at a pointabove the lower end of the relix to flow downwardly in a directionacross the turns, and applying a liquid washing medium to the thread ata point above the point of application of the acid to flow downwardly ina direction across the turns.

17. A method formanufacturing thread which includes spinning acopper-ammonia-cellulose solution into a multiplicity of filaments toform a thread, feeding the thread through a helical path having aplurality of turns the axis of which is at anangle to the horizontal andin which the thread moves from the lower end of the helix to the upperend, applying an acid treatment liquid to the thread at a point abovethe lower end of the helix to flow downwardly in a direction across theturns, applying a liquid washing medium to the thread at a point abovethe point of application of the acid to flow downwardly in a directionacross the turns, and drying the thread during its helical path ofmovement at a point beyond the point of application of the washingmedium.

18. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a plurality ofsubstantially rigid or unyielding thread carrying elements arranged in adrum-like structure, and mechanism for mounting and actuating saidelements comprising means providing movement thereof to advance threadcarried thereby in a generally circular path, means providing movementthereof to advance thread carried thereby in a path generally axially ofthe first path, whereby to provide generally helical advancement ofturns of thread carried by said elements, and mechanical meanspositively interrelating said movements of the thread carrying elements,said mechanism further being arranged to change the point of contact ofany given element with the thread in one turn of the helical path ascompared with another.

19. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a plurality ofelements each having a thread supporting surface arranged in a drumlikestructure, and mechanism for mounting and actuating said elementscomprising mechanical means positively moving said surface of eachelement in a generally circular path, and means moving said surface ofeach element in a path axially of the first path, whereby to providegenerally helical advancement of turns of thread carried by saidsurfaces, said mechanism further being arranged to change the point ofcontact of the supporting surface of any given element with the threadin one turn of the helical path as compared with another.

20. Apparatus for use in manufacturing thread including a plurality ofsubstantially rigid or unyielding thread carrying elements arranged in adrum-like structure, and mechanism for mounting and actuating saidelements comprising means providing movement thereof to advance threadcarried thereby in a generally circular path, means providing movementthereof to advance thread carried thereby in a path generally axially ofthe first path, whereby to provide generally helical advancement ofturns of thread carried by said elements, mechanical means positivelyinterrelating said movements of the thread carrying elements, saidmechanism further being arranged to change the point of contact of anygiven element with the thread in one turn of the helical path ascompared with another, and means for delivering a treating fluid to theturns of thread carried by said elements.

21. A method for manufacturing rayon thread which includes spinning amultiplicity of filaments to form a thread, advancing the thread on adrumlike structure in a generally helical path under tension ofapproximately uniform value throughout a major portion of the turns ofthe helix, applying a treating fluid to the thread during its helicalpath of movement in said turns, spreading the filaments of the thread ata plurality of spaced points along the length of thread in said turns,and changing the points of spreading in said length of thread in .oneturn as compared with another during advancement thereof through saidturns to provide spreading of substantially all portions of the threadas it passes through said turns.

22. A method for manufacturing rayon thread which includes spinning amultiplicity of filaments to form a thread, advancing the thread on adrum-like structure in a generally helical path under tension ofapproximately uniform value throughout a major portion of the turns ofthe helix, applying a treating liquid to the thread during its helicalpath of movement in said turns, spreading the filaments of the thread ata plurality of spaced points along the length of thread in said turns,changing the points of spreading in said length of thread in one turn ascompared with another during advancement thereof through said turns toprovide spreading of substantially all portions of the thread as itpasses through said turns, and drying the thread as it is advancedthrough its helical path of travel at a point beyond the application ofthe treating liquid.

23. A method for manufacturing rayon thread which includes spinning amultiplicity of filaments to form a thread, advancing the thread on adrum-like structure in a generally helical path under tension ofapproximately uniform value throughout a major portion of the turns ofthe helix, applying a liquid chemical treating agent to the threadduring its helical path of movement in said turns, applying a liquidwashing agent to the thread beyond the point of application of thetreating agent during its helical path of movement in said turns,spreading the filaments of the thread at a plurality of spaced pointsalong the length of thread in said turns, and changing the points ofspreading in said length of thread in one turn as compared with anotherduring advancement thereof through said turns to provide spreading ofsubstantially all portions of the thread as it passes through saidturns.

24. A method for manufacturing rayon thread which includes spinning amultiplicity of filaments to form a thread, advancing the thread on adrum like structure in a generally helical path under tension ofapproximately uniform value throughout a major portion of the turns ofthe helix, applying a liquid chemical treating agent to the threadduring its helical path of movement in said turns, applying a liquidwashing agent to the thread beyond the point of application of thetreating agentduring its helical path of movement in said turns,changing the points of spreading in said length of thread in one turn ascompared with another during advancement thereof through said turns toprovide spreading of substantially all portions of the thread as itpasses through said turns, and drying the thread as it is advancedthrough its helical path of travel at a point beyond the application ofthe washing agent.

WILLIAM H. FURNESS.

